The race for mayor: No time for political opportunists

U-T San Diego Editorial Board

The sprint to become San Diego’s 36th mayor begins in earnest this week, and mail ballots go out to voters in just 49 days. In the wake of the immoral, maniacal power trip of the disgraced Bob Filner, this is probably the most important election in city history. San Diego cannot afford to get it wrong.

As this editorial page has said in the wake of Filner’s resignation, quality of character must be the hallmark of the new mayor — and the standard by which voters should judge the candidates. Never before have integrity, stability, long-standing core values and leadership style been so important.

This election is a time for statesmen. There is no room for political opportunism.

Which brings us to the candidates and potential candidates — specifically, the two men at the top of the field in early polling, Nathan Fletcher and Carl DeMaio.

Fletcher is bright, articulate and energetic. He served this nation honorably as a Marine and in the state Legislature. But the Marine motto, semper fidelis, means always faithful. As Fletcher switched from Republican to political independent to Democrat in the span of just a year, he showed that the only thing he is loyal to is political expediency.

This is a man who had a solid pro-business record in the Assembly and who in his years in Sacramento voted with labor just 18 percent of the time, according to the California Labor Federation. Yet he now endorses the pro-labor, anti-business prevailing-wage ordinance recently enacted by Filner’s majority on the City Council. As he openly courts labor’s support in the race for mayor, what promises has he made? As many are now asking, who is the real Nathan Fletcher?

DeMaio, too, is bright, skilled and determined and has never wavered from his libertarian/conservative principles. His in-your-face doggedness and sometimes abrasive manner is just what is needed to fix a broken Congress. But those traits are not what is needed to heal our broken city.

DeMaio will announce Tuesday whether he will remain a candidate for Congress or demonstrate his own political opportunism by switching to the race for mayor. His decision will mark him as a future Republican star, or could end his political career. The U-T editorial board urges DeMaio to stick with his congressional candidacy; he can count on our editorial support if he does so.

The U-T wants only what is best for San Diego. We will endorse a candidate with vision and a demonstrated ability to lead and heal the city’s wounded psyche. The new mayor must be able to reestablish our city as America’s finest.